PRAISE FOR LESLIE SHIMOTAKAHARA:
"[A] novel of perspicacious observation.... Contrasting family loyalties with a girl's propulsive yearning for independence, Sisters of the Spruce is a captivating historical novel." Foreword Reviews for Sisters of the Spruce
"[A] poignant story of friendship and love, family loyalty and the strength of the human spirit." Historical Novel Society for Sisters of the Spruce
"Shimotakahara's storytelling prowess shines brightly in this evocative tale of adventure, survival, and the enduring bonds of kinship." Cha: An Asian Literary Journal for Sisters of the Spruce
"Shimotakahara offers evocative descriptions of the landscape.... [S]he brings the buried ruins of the era to life." Literary Review of Canada for Sisters of the Spruce
"Shimotakahara shows virtuosity in this subtle deconstruction of one family's tainted origins." Kirkus Reviews for Red Oblivion
"Fans of literary fiction will enjoy this compelling story." Library Journal for Red Oblivion
"Shimotakahara's writing is personal and entrancing, unflinchingly shining a light on this difficult part of history." Booklist starred review for After the Bloom
"Shimotakahara joins a rank of garlanded Canadian authors." National Post for After the Bloom
Leslie Shimotakahara is an award-winning author of three novels and a memoir, as well as numerous short fiction and essays. She won the Canada-Japan Literary Prize (2012) and has been shortlisted for the K.M. Hunter Artist Award.
Her writing has appeared in the National Post, World Literature Today, Changing the Face of Canadian Literature, and other anthologies and periodicals. She holds a PhD in English from Brown University, and lives in Toronto with her husband. Her fourth novel, The Breakwater, is forthcoming from Cormorant Books in spring 2026.
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